Anne Hastings – Principal

Our students, new and experienced Emanuelians, have settled into the year so well. It’s normal for them to be tired in the first few weeks of the year, since they have to adjust their body clocks from sleep-ins in the mornings to being at School ready to be thinking and active by at least 8:15 am. The very warm, humid weather has provided another challenge for them and their teachers, but they are all managing admirably.

Year 11 students and staff participated in a workshop last week that was given by Lisa Maltman of the Sleep Connection.

She talked about the modern-day sleep thieves, such as our habits of using technology before bed, our busy lifestyle and poor time management, cultural and family impacts, working too late, intense exercise before bed, poor food and drink choices. Teenagers in particular want to go to bed later and get up later. 

The following are some of her ‘smart sleep’ tips

• Prioritise your sleep and have a routine bedtime to aim for
• Have a one-hour break between work/use of electronics and sleep
• Make sure the bedroom is an electronics-free zone at night
• Keep your bed for sleep (ie students should not be studying on their bed)
• Set aside thinking and planning time – keep a pen and paper beside the bed
• Exercise daily
• Have bright light in morning, dim light in evening
• Limit sleep-ins to one hour extra on weekends
• Restrict any afternoon naps to 20 mins 
• Avoid caffeine after 2 pm/limit alcohol
• Go to bed when sleepy
• Get rid of the snooze button on any alarms – get into the habit of getting up straight away when the alarm rings
• Seek help if you are concerned about your sleep health.

Jazz on the Hill

Our very successful afternoon of good music and company is coming up again on 26 March from 2 – 5 pm. Please see the Gesher page elsewhere in this Ma Nishma for booking details or click on the link http://tinyurl.com/JOTH2017

Student success

Mazal tov to:

• Nathaniel Spielman, Adam Shul and Maximilian Mora-Chow, for being invited to join one of the 12 ensembles for the Sydney Youth Orchestra
• Ms Maxine Chopard, for managing the challenging task of organising the photographs of all of our students and staff in the last week with great competence and equanimity

We love to recognise our students who have special and notable achievements within and beyond school. Parents are welcome to email me on principal@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au with the details, for inclusion in this section of Ma Nishma.

 Coming up

• Primary Meet the Teacher evening, Monday 13 February 6:00 – 8:30 pm (see Primary page for more details)
• Year 10 Parent and Student Information Evening (including Chavayah information), Wednesday 15 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• Years 7 & 8 Camp, Tuesday 21 – Friday 24 February
• Year 9 Parent and Student Information Evening, Tuesday 21 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• Drugs and Alcohol Presentation with Paul Dillon, Wednesday 22 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• Year 8 Parent and Student Information Evening, Tuesday 28 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• New Parents Welcome and Year 7 Parents Meet the Teacher, Monday 6 March

Quote of the week

“The Past is to be respected and acknowledged, but not to be worshiped. It is our future in which we will find our greatness”. [Pierre Trudeau (1919 – 2000)]

Best wishes for a restful and reinvigorating weekend.

Shabbat Shalom